General satisfaction after the French Open abroad

Guadeloupe (shortboard, longboard), Martinique (shortboard, longboard) and Réunion (shortboard, longboard, bodyboard) launched the French open circuit season with federal competitions in the heart of the metropolitan winter. A news that excites local stakeholders and the elected person responsible for federal life Didier Tirilly (pictured below). And which should be renewed every year.

The union’s desire to travel to overseas territories emerged after two years of work. The main idea was to propose to these territories to organize competitions and to involve their competitors on their island. After longboarding in the West Indies last November, where many city dwellers traveled, the shortboard season started in January with the Banque Populaire Surf Tour in Guadeloupe (Open and Junior) and an Open hopeful in Martinique. Where a strong delegation of big cities also traveled. The overseas streak ended in Reunion with four French Opens in shortboard, longboard, bodyboard and drop knee.
“We started the circuit very early to offer overseas competitions in an ideal period for everyone, whether abroad or in mainland France, explains Didier Tirilly, elected to the steering committee and responsible for federal competitions. Ultramarines, because they are usually all at home at this time of year. And the big cities so they can escape to the sun in the middle of winter and surf in the warm water. »
In the West Indies, the season November-January is the best of the year. As for Reunion, there are good waves all year round and the northern swells of the Australian summer have been very present.

Shortboarding in Guadeloupe. (Photo FFSurf)

Two years of work
“It was two years of work to set up these French Opens abroad”, comments Didier Tirilly. Which now has guarantees from the organizers for future editions in the Antilles and Reunion. “We know that we need to establish the 2025 calendar even earlier so that more competitors can plan the trip abroad. We hope to officially announce the 2025 circuit during the French championships this autumn. »
The organization of these ten overseas federal competitions was entrusted to the decentralized bodies of the federation which are the leagues of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion. Clubs such as Madinina were also involved. “A big congratulations to the leagues concerned, they have done a great job in quite a short space of time, assures Didier Tirilly. The work was carried out by managers and volunteers in local structures and clubs. It also allowed us to travel around the territories, secure networks and meet as many players in the sports movement on each island as possible. These territories are full of richness, both on a sporting level, as well as in terms of the quality of the waves and the human aspect. There were some great meetings at these events. With a warm welcome from the organizers and local surfers. »

Longboarding in Reunion. (Photo FFSurf)

The foreign masters in their home
On the sporting level, we have seen many metropolitan longboard and shortboard hopefuls come to the West Indies. Competitors from Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion also performed well at home. “We realized that the Ultramarines were masters of their waves, analyzes Didier Tirilly. Above all, they were very motivated to have competitions at home with the desire to win at home. The French Open caravan allowed them to use lycra again and start the season very early. »
The federal season now continues in mainland France with the Biarritz Maïder Arostéguy starting this weekend, then on the 3rd.^e stage of the Banque Populaire Surf Tour in Sauzaie (Vendée). Find the federal calendar for 2024 HERE.

Thierry Martineau: “The reunion will return in 2025! »

The president of the Réunion Surf League Thierry Martineau welcomed the good performance of the four competitions in the French Open circuit in March on the island. He has already announced plans for as many, if not more, federal competitions in 2025.

“We have just finished four fantastic days of competition. Four competitions in one actually. We had a 10-day window and the good conditions allowed us to complete everything in the first four days. » Thierry Martineau can breathe. The organization in the relatively short time between the decision in November and the situation in March gave him gray hair. But the success is at the end.
“We succeeded in meeting this challenge for us, the league, because we were able to get all the authorizations in less than three months, between our proposal to the association and the holding of this event, he explains. It had been 21 years since there had been any federal competitions in Reunion. We knew we were going to be judged in these competitions and we wanted to show the French Surfing Federation that we were up to the challenge. »
Thierry Martineau is pleased with the smooth running of shortboard, longboard, bodyboard and drop knee competitions at Trois-Bassins, Les Brisants and Les Zaigrettes and assures us that he wants to be part of it for the long term: “We can already announce that we will organize more French Opens in 2025. We have a year ahead of us to work and propose something even bigger. Our desire is to offer the French Open in as many disciplines as possible, and also in aspiring shortboards. We cannot yet say when because we have to adapt to other potential competitions. But we will certainly develop by trying to go to even more world-class places. »